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Architecture profession is expanding and becoming more diverse, says NCARB

2024-07-08T17:19:00-04:00

A shift toward a more diverse and prepared architecture profession has been documented in the latest NCARB by the Numbers report from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

The council’s annual survey revealed the total number of licensed practitioners to have grown by 1% to 121,368 in the past year. Another 37,708 are on their way to obtaining licensure. In 2023, there were 3,734 new architects reported to have earned a license, reversing last year’s decline by a total of 6% nationally.

It now takes candidates an average of 13.3 years to earn a license — slightly longer than the average pre-pandemic frame. This comes after NCARB instated several “pragmatic” changes to the ARE exam.

Related Feature on Archinect: Let's Talk About Architectural Licensure

In terms of a demographic sample, the survey found architecture to have shown broad-ranging improvements in a number of key representational categories, indicating a greater overall diversity along race and gender...

It takes over 13 years to become an architect, according to new NCARB data

2023-07-18T11:41:00-04:00

NCARB has released its twelfth annual data report, NCARB by the Numbers, highlighting key trends in architectural education and licensure.

The report, derived from NCARB’s database of over 128,000 licensure candidates and architects, shows a 9% rise in the number of architecture license candidates in 2022, exceeding 35,000. The average time from starting college to licensure was 13.3 years, with women achieving licensure about 11 months faster than men. New architects are also increasing diversity in the profession, with one in three new architects being a person of color and two out of five being women.

NCARB By The Numbers 2023 summary chart. Image credit: NCARB

The report indicates that in 2022, there were nearly 120,000 licensed architects in the U.S. Licensed architects held about 145,000 reciprocal licenses, a 6% increase from the previous year, which NCARB explains as a demand for professional mobility due to COVID-19.

Despite the 9% increase in licensure candidates, there wa...

Architectural profession is recovering from COVID, and becoming more diverse, says NCARB

2022-06-23T12:55:00-04:00

The path to licensure within the U.S. is becoming more diverse from gender, race, and ethnic standpoints, according to NCARB’s annual NCARB by the Numbers report. The report also notes that the profession is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of candidates on the licensure path also increasing.

2021 saw a 23% increase in the number of candidates completing the path to licensure compared to 2020, when the pandemic saw a significant decline in participation in the licensure path. There was also a 39% increase in exams taken, and a 26% increase in exams completed.

The number of new architects increased by 23% from 2020, but is still 24% lower than pre-pandemic averages, suggesting the impact of the pandemic has still not waned.

The report also found that the average candidate takes 13 years to complete the path to licensure from starting college to receiving a ...

The latest NCARB report shows how architectural education changed in 2020

2021-08-16T14:04:00-04:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has published new data giving insights into the growth of architectural education throughout the 2019/2020 academic year. As part of their tenth annual NCARB by the Numbers report, NCARB examined the number of individuals beginning, continuing, and graduating from architectural education throughout the academic year as well as information on demographics.

Overall, the number of new and total enrollments in NAAB-accredited programs continued to rise for the 2019/2020 academic year, as did the number of graduates. 7,968 new students enrolled in an NAAB program in the 2019/2020 cycle, representing a 3% increase on the previous year, and a third consecutive year of steady growth. Of those, 51% enrolled in a Bachelor of Architecture, 48% enrolled in a Master of Architecture, and less than 1% enrolled in a Doctor of Architecture. Just over half of new students (51%) were women.

Related on Archinect: Total number of U.S. ...

Breaking down NCARB's 2019 findings on Diversity and Licensure

2019-08-08T19:00:00-04:00

"NCARB by the Numbers", provides new insights into the makeup of candidates and metrics relating to the pursuit of architectural licensure. The 2019 edition reveals updates regarding the number of U.S. architects, the time it takes to earn a license, diversity in the profession, analysis on attrition along the path to licensure, and a look back at historical data celebrating the organization’s 100-year history.

NCARB's latest annual data report includes several record-setting or near-record statistics:

For the first time, over half of newly licensed architects started their NCARB Record while in school.
Nearly 5,000 candidates completed the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) in 2018, the second highest number on record.
Gender equity improved along most career stages. Women now make up 50 percent of candidates beginning the AXP, the first time equity has been seen at any career stage.
Diversity continues to improve along early career stages—46 percent of new AXP candidates and 35 percent of new ARE candidates now identify as non-white.
On average, it takes 12.8 years to complete the core licensure requirements, which include earning a degree, completing the experience program, and passing the ARE.

NCARB also celebrated its 100th anniversary as an organization this past May. "As we embark on our second century, we will continue using the information gathered in NCARB by the Numbers, as ...

NCARB reports 3% increase in number of U.S. architects

2018-06-12T14:54:00-04:00

Every year, NCARB requests the number of architects and reciprocal licenses from each of its jurisdictions—which include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The 2017 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards indicates architects in the United States rose to 113,554, a 3 percent increase since 2016. Compared to the population, there is one architect for every 2,900 people in the United States.

The NCARB has also tracked the increase in US architects by 10% since 2008 and reports the second highest number of out-of-state licenses recorded at 125,348—revealing mobility in the profession across state borders.

NCARB CEO Michael J. Armstrong stated, “This year’s data not only shows that licensure remains valued within the architecture field, it also demonstrates that NCARB’s efforts to streamline the path to licensure and remove unnecessary barriers has been effective. We’ve achieved this while maintaining rigor and ensuring each board’s ability to protect the public.”

Find out more from NCARB’s data and the 2017 Survey of Architectural Registration Boards.

NCARB reveals diversity in the architectural profession has increased

2017-08-10T13:30:00-04:00

In 2016, 42 percent of new AXP participants and 30 percent of new ARE candidates identified as non-white—up three percentage points for both groups. However, diversity among newly licensed architects and NCARB Certificate holders remained the same. For comparison, 38 percent of the U.S. population identifies as either non-white or Hispanic, according to 2015 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

There are now more women and non-white participants in architecture as of 2016 according to the NCARB, which has just released its 2017 "By the Numbers" report. As NCARB notes in a press release:

“While several groups remain underrepresented within the profession, these trends point to growing diversity among licensure candidates, and eventually, future architects,” said NCARB President Kristine A. Harding, NCARB, AIA. “In response, NCARB will continue to ensure our programs balance inclusivity with the rigor needed to protect the public.”

Latest NCARB report shows faster path to licensure

2016-08-29T13:30:00-04:00

According to the recently released 2016 edition of “NCARB by the Numbers”, looking at "key insights into architectural education, the path to licensure, and diversity in the profession", the time it takes to get an architecture license has continued to gradually decrease, as the average age of licensure also keeps steadily dropping.

The report states that in 2015, on average it took 13.3 years to become an architect, a timeline defined by: “from the time a student enrolls in school to the moment they receive a license.” That timeframe has gradually been decreasing each year since 2008, when it took approximately 15.5 years. So naturally, it follows that architects are also getting licensed at a younger age, on average.

Other key points from the report include the all-time (recorded) high of over 41,500 “professionals working toward licensure” in 2015. The percentage of ARE completions by women also reached its highest since 2006, increasing by over 10% to 37%.

For more information and ...

NCARB releases "By the Numbers" report for 2015 – and in general, things don't seem so terrible

2015-07-09T13:40:00-04:00

Every year, NCARB releases a report looking at architects' path to licensure. Paying particular attention to trends in how diverse the architecture population is becoming, how regulation of architects is changing, and any developments in licensing credentials, the report offers a benchmark for understanding where the profession may be moving. The 2015 edition of NCARB by the Numbers, reflecting on stats accrued in the previous year, is now available to download for free.

Some highlights from the report:

There are more architects: The number of licensed architects, reported by the 54 U.S. licensing boards, increased by 2% from 2013-2014
Architects are getting licensed earlier: In 2014, the average age that an architect became licensed fell to 33.3 – it's lowest since 2001
Minority presence is getting stronger: 41% of aspiring architects belonged to racial and ethnic minorities in 2014, up from 22% in 2007
More women are completing IDP: The number of female architects who completed IDP in ...